Controlling device for electric motors.



PATENTED APR. 7, 1903..

W. B. POTTER. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1898.

3, SHEETS-SHEET 1 HO'MODEL.

William B. o tber No. 724,611. PATENTED APR. 7, 1.903.

W. B. POTTER.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG.13, 1898.

, a sums-4112B: 2.

N0 MODEL.

\A/ITIJE-IIEEIEE. [NWZNTDR' V Cb/ AQMM. Wima Bpot be by glam/ ownPATENTED APR, 7, 1903.

W. B. POTTER. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1898.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 3- R0 MODEL.

VAC? A1 P T R", William B. potter,

\A/ITNEEEEE. Q/ LW.

-' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM B. POTTER, OF SCHEN EOTADY, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEYV YORK.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,611, dated April 7,1903.

Application filed August 13, 1898. Serial No. 688,535. (No model-l frrZZ whom it may concern.- this specification I aim to cover these mechBe it known that 1, WILLIAM B. POTTER, a anisms in all their novelcombinations. citizen of the United States, residingat Schen- WVith theapparatus which I have employed ectady, in the county of Schenectady,State of for the purposes of my invention I place stops 5 New York, haveinvented certain new and for the handle only at the actual runninguseful Improvements in Controlling Devices positions of the switch, asthey are commonly for Electric Motors, of which the following iscalledthat is to say, when the handle is a specification. moved from oneposition to another it is al- My present invention relates tocontrollers ways from a position in which the motors may to forelectricmotors, and has for its object to be operated for any convenientlengthof time obviate a difiiculty which arises either from to another similarposition. In most controlinexperience or carelessness of the motorman.lers, as is well understood, there are a num- In many cases theacceleration of the car is her of positions in which the motors are notmore rapid than it should be, because the motobe allowed to run for anylength of time.

15 torman does not stop long enough on the dif- These are commonlycalled transitiom ferent positions of the controller to allow the Ipoints. Some of these are resistance-points motors to come to the fullspeed correspondand others are the points at Whicli the tran- 7o ing toeach position before turning to the sition from series to parallel ismade in this next. Resistance is cut out too rapidly or particulartypeofcontroller. The advantage 20 the change from series to parallel is madetoo of my invention in this regard consists in the fast. This not onlymakes the carjerk, which fact that however careless or inattentive theis very unpleasant to passengers, but it is inmotorman may be hiscontrolling apparatus jurious to the apparatus. In installations willstill be in one of its proper running powhere a number of motors areemployed on sitions and no injury will come to any of the 2 5 each carand the currents are necessarily apparatus.

greater than those in ordinary tramways the To effect the purposes ofthe invention, I difficulty is particularly apparent and the employ anordinary cylindrical switch or danger of accident to the apparatuscorre-. drum and a handle for its rotation, connectspondingly increased.To obviate it,I have ing the handle and the switch by a spiral o devisedthe apparatus of the present invenspring. To the switch I connectaretarding tion, which consists, in its essence, of a lostdeviceconsisting of a governor of the cenmotion connection between' the handleor trifugal type, with gearing interposed beother actuator and theswitch controlling the tween the governor and the switch, so as tomotors, together with'means for causing the render the rotation of theformer more, rapid 5 switch to follow the motion of the handle at andthe regulation more minute and accua uniform rate irrespective of thespeed with rate. The arrangementis such that the hanwhich the motormanmay operate the latter. dle is moved freely toward the running posi- Theparticulardevice WhichIhave here shown tions of the controller and isfollowed by the for this purpose is a spring constituting a removablemember of the controller at a slower 4o silient or elasticenergy-storing connection, speed unless the handle bemoved very withsuitable speed-governing apparatus by slowly, the particular speed ofthe handle at which the progress of the switch is regulated. which themovable member of the controller 5 Ofcourse other mechanisms mightbeadopted will have a corresponding speed depending and still be withinmy invention. upon the character of the retarding device 5 Although myinvention in its preferred and the inertia of the parts of themechanform employs a lost-motion energy-storing ism. When the handle isbrought to rest at connection between the handle and the switch any oneof the running positions, the con-troland in addition thereto aspeed-governing deler-cylinder will at predetermined speed folvice forthe controller, it is evident that these low it up,making the successivetransitions at 50 mechanisms are capable of use singly, in coma ratepreadjusted to the bestand most regubination with other elements of acontroller lar acceleration. The spring connection bemechanism, as wellas in combination with tween the handle and the switch is so con- 10each other, and in the claims appended to structed and arranged that theinitial movemove simultaneously therewith.

ment of the handle will cause the switch to If therefore the handle ismoved forward to any point and there stopped, the switch will be movedby means'of the spring connection into a position corresponding to thepoint at which the handle is stopped and will then come to rest. Theacceleration of the car thus becomes uniform either from rest to adesired speed or from one speed to another. lt'is thus also impossibleto hold the controller in a position in which it should not remain forany length of time. It is unnecessary, however, to regulate the turningoff of the current in the wayjust named. Emergencies are apt to occur inwhich the motorcurrent should be at once shut off. This I provide for byso arranging the connection between the controller-cylinder and itsoperating-handle that in the reverse direction it is positive, while inturning on the power there is the lost motion already referred to.

The invention will be better understood from the accompanying drawings,showing one particular form, in which Figure 1 is a plan of theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a side elevation of the governor, partly in section, on the line 33 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the parts shown in Fig. 3upon the line 4: 4 of the latter figure. Figs. 5 and 6 are details ofthe connection between the handle and the controller-cylinder by whichthe motion of the latter is positive in turning OK.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A is the operating-handle,

having the latch a controlled by a spring a and lifted out of thenotches 1, 2, 3, or 4 of the sector B by the rod a, the link A', and thehandle A. So much of the device resembles in. general the lever of anordinary locomotive. The sector B is held in place by the bolts 13 B,being secured to the baseplate H of the apparatus, the latter beingprovided with a bracket H, to one end of which the sector B is secured.The base H is so constructed that it may take the place of the cap-plateof the ordinary controller. The leverA rotates the shaft K. To the shaftK is secured one end of the spring I, the other end being secured at Ito the segment 0. The latter meshes with a train of gears drivingcontroller-shaft and the governor L.- The segment 0 drives the pinion C,and this latter drives a second pinion C which rotates the shaft F ofthe controller. (Sec Figs. 2, 5, and 6.) The gear 0 is driven from thisshaft by means of a'ratchet D, be ing connected to the ratchet by thepawl D, held in place by the spring D The purpose of this will presentlyappear, and the construction is best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, to be morefully described hereinafter. The gear 0 meshes with the pinion C",driving the gear 0 the latterdriving the governor L through the pinionC". The rotation of the governor causes the balls or weights L (seeFigs. 3

.sion.

and 4) to fly outward, and thus force the triotion-pawls L L against theinner face of the cylinder U, the latter being stationary and held inplace by the screw m,which connects it to the guard M, fixed to any partof the apparatus. Stops Z prevent the friction-pawls from being so fardrawn in that the weights L will rub on the outer surface of thecylinder. The pawls are pivoted at l, and a packing Z, of leather orother suitable material, serves to increase their adhesion.

Referring now to Fig. 2, which should be read in connection with Fig. 1,it will be seen that to the hub K, to which the lever A is secured, isfixed an arm K which may be made integral with the hub. Against this armbears a stop 0 fixed to the segmentgear 0. As the lever A is moved thearm K is brought away from the stop 0 the motion of the lever puttingthe spring I under ten- The spring being fixed at I to the gear 0 tendsto draw this gear around until the stop 0 rests against the arm K Thiscommunicates motion to the entire train of gears and through the shaft Fto the controller, the governor L controlling the rate at which thecontroller shall be rotated. As soon as the stop C strikes the arm K themovement of the controller ceases. The lever A may 'be moved into any ofthe notches 1, 2, 3, or

4 of the segment 13, and the controller will then start and follow it upat the desired rate of speed.

In order to provide for the positive return of the controller mechanismand the turning off of current, the arrangement shown in detail in Figs.5 and 6 and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 is employed. The gear Crotates upon the stud G, the upper part of which is made round, thegear'being held in place by the pin g. The lower part of the stud G, asshown at g, is shaped like the upper partf of the controller-shaft F.The gear (3 is mounted upon or formed integral with a collar f, whichfits over the upper part of the shaft F and rotates the controller, andin this collar the part g of the stud Galso fits. The ratchet D isformed to fit the lower part g of the stud. Thus as the gear 0 turns itturns the ratchet D by means of the stud G and also the shaft F of thecontroller. The gear wheel C however, being connected with the ratchetthrough the pawl D, will rotate when the ratchet turns in one direction,but is stationary when it is turned in the other. \Vhen, therefore, bythe motion of the handle the gear C, mounted on the shaft 'E rotates theear 0 so that the ratchet turns in the direction of the arrow, as shownin Fig. 5,the gear C rotates and the governor is brought into play; butwhen the mechanism is reversed the pawl D slips over the ratchet and themotion of the handle is independent of the governor. The backward motionof the handle thus forces back the arm K and through the stop 0 movesthe segment C backward, thus rotating the gears G and C (and throughthem the'shaft F'of the controller P) positively backward. By removingor fastening back the pawl D the controller evidently becomes one ofordinary type, the governor L being thrown entirely out of action.

In the particular type of controller which I have selected for embodyingmy invention the change from series to parallel is made by shunting oneof the motors. A good form of controller is that shown in my priorpatent, No. 52 L396, inwhich a full description of the circuits may alsobe found. I have not thought it necessary to describe and illustrate thedevice in this application. Any other controller in which a regular andmod- .erate movement will give a substantially uniform acceleration ofthe motors may be employed, as is well understood. It is desir= able forseveral reasons, unnecessary to recite, that the change from series toparallel should be made with reasonable rapidity, and I have thereforeso arranged the device illustrated that the governor will be thrown outof action during this part of its rotation. Due to the influence of theretarding device the movement of. the switch will be maintainedsubstantially uniform; but when the governor is thrown out of action thespeed of movement of said switch will be increased.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, O is a disk on the top of thecontroller-cylinder. (Seen best in Fig. 2.) Upon this disk is mounted acam 0. Pivoted at n is a lever having a fork N, provided withfriction-rollers n, rotating in the collar N, fixed to the shaft of thegovernor by a feather-key, so that the collar is free to slide up anddown within certain limits. Cords or wires Z pass through holes in thepin 1 and are connected to the frictionpawls L and the weights L. N ofthe lever is, provided with a frictionroller 07?, traveling on the disk0 and the cam 0. The position of the cam o is such that as thetransition-point from series to parallel is reached in the revolution ofthe controller the cam 0 passes under the roller M, the fork N isslightly depressed, thus depressing the collar N and pulling on thecords or wires Z and drawing in the weights L, releasing thefriction-pawls, so that the governor is thrown out of action. This partof the movement of the controller is therefore accomplished more quicklythan the rest.

, In order to prevent too great a rotation of the controller, I employstops K K, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) which strike a projection from the baseII, and thus limit the movement of the handle A.

In the ordinary operation of the device the motorman will bring thelever A at starting to the notch 3, which corresponds to the fullseriesposition of the controller, and after the train or car has acquired fullspeed in this position the lever will be brought over to the notch atand the change of motor connections The lower part from series toparallel will be effected. This change can be made with safety, asalready pointed out, much more rapidly than the change from rest to thefull-series position.

In high-speed service the handle may be brought at once to the lastrunning position, and thus the maximum even accelerationwill be attainedwithout further attention from the engineer.

Inpractical operation I have found that the acceleration of the traincould not be made greater than the desired rate for which the device wasdesigned Whether the force applied to the handle be much or little,although where it is desirable to diminish this rate it could readily bedone by moving the handle so slowly that the-switch would follow it upclosely. This is not ordinarily the desired method of operation, but maybe useful on occasion.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatortherefor, and a resilient connection between the actuator and the switchso constructed and arranged that the initial movement of the actuatorwill cause the switch to move simultaneously at a different rate ofspeed.

2. Ina controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatortherefor, and a resilient connection between the actuator and the switchso constructed and arranged that, the initial movement of the actuatorwill cause the switch to start to move simultaneously at a different butuniform rate.

3. In a controller, in combination, a switch having running positionsand transition positions, an operating-handle therefor provided withstops corresponding to the running positions only, and a lost-motion,energy-storing connection between said handle and said switch.

4. In a controller, in combination, a switch having running positionsand transition positions, an operating-handle therefor provided withstops corresponding to the running positions only, a lost-motion,energystoring connection between said handle and said switch, and meanswhereby the switchis caused to pass through certain positions at a speedgreater than the speed at which it passes through the other positions.

' 5. A controlling device for electric motors, comprising a handle freeto move, a switch with a lost-motion connection between the switch andthe handle, a governor for controlling the motion of the switch, meansfor causing the switch to follow the handle, and means for throwing thegovernor out of action during partof the following movement of theswitch.

6. A controlling device for electric motors, comprising a switch, ahandle operatively connected thereto, means whereby the switch isstarted in motion simultaneously with the initial movement of saidhandle, a retarding means operating to retard the movement of the switchin turning on current and a positive connection between the handle andthe switch operative only in turning the current off.

7. The combination of a freely-movable switch for controlling a motor ormotors, a handle having lost-motion energy-storing connection with theswitch in one direction of movement, means for maintaining uniform thespeed of the switch, and a positive engaging means between the handleand the switch, operative in the reverse direction.

8. In a controlling device, the combination of a handle free to move inone direction without immediately effecting a corresponding movement ofthe switch, means for causing the switch to follow the handle, agovernor for the switch, and means for throwing the retarding means outof action during a certain part of the forward motion of the switch;with a positive engaging means between the handle and switch and a slipconnection between the governor and switch, operative as the movement ofthe latter is reversed.

9. In a controlling device, means retarding the motion of the switch inturning on current, a device for throwing the retarding means out ofaction when the motion of the switch is reversed, and means for throwingthe retarding means out of action during a part of the movement of theswitch to the on position. v

10. In combination, a switch, a governor for the switch, a ratchetbetween the governor and the switch, whereby the governor controls themotion of the switch in one direction, but not in the other, and meansindependent of the ratchet for throwing the governor out of actionduring the motion of the switch in the former direction.

11. A controlling device for electric motors having a f reely-movablehandle, stops for said handle at the running positions of thecontrolling device, and a lost-motion, energy-storing connection betweensaid handle and said controlling device.

12. A controlling device for electric motors comprising a switch, ahandle, for operating said switch, having a plurality of operativepositions, a lost-motion, energy-storing connection between said handleand said switch, and means for arresting the motion of the switch whenit reaches a position corresponding to the position of theoperating-handle.

13. A controlling device having a handle free to move relatively to theswitch, with means for causing the switch to automatically follow thehandle, and stops for the handle corresponding to the running-pointsonly of the controller.

14. A controlling device having a handle free to move in one directionrelatively to the switch, with a governor limiting the speed, a springfor driving the switch, and stops for the handle, corresponding to therunningpoints only; whereby the transition-points may be passed at apredetermined speed.

15. A controlling device for electric motors, comprising afreely-movable switch, a handle, for operating said switch, having aplurality of operative positions, a spring connection interposed betweensaid switch and said handle, and means for arresting said switch when ithas reached a position corresponding to the position of saidoperating-handle.

16. A controlling device for electric motors, comprising a switch, ahandle having a plurality of operative positions and connected to saidswitch by means of a device constructed and arranged to cause the switchto start in motion simultaneously with the initial movements of saidhandle, a stop connected to said switch, and a lug on said handlearranged to be engaged by said stop whenever the switch occupiesaposition corresponding to that of the operating-handle.

17. The combination with a controlling device, comprising a movablepart, of a retarding device adapted to prevent the too rapid movement ofsaid controlling device, whereby the retarding device is responsive tothe movement of the controlling device, and a limiting device associatedwith said retarding device adapted to limit the duration of itselfective action.

18. The combination with a controlling device having a movable part, ofa retarding device therefor consisting of a train of gears operating afriction-producing device, said friction-producing device comprising afixed part, and a moving part adapted to be moved by centrifugal actioninto engagement with said fixed part.

19. The combination with a controlling device having a movable part, ofa retarding do vice therefor consisting of a train of gears operating acentrifugal governor, said governor comprising a fixed part, and amoving part adapted to be moved by centrifugal action into engagementwith said fixed part, and means for rendering said governor tempora rilyinoperative.

20. The combination with a controlling device having a movable part of aretarding device therefor having a governor and means for rendering saidgovernor inoperative during a part of the movement of said controllingdevice.

21. In a controller, the combination with a freely-movable switch, of anactuator therefor, resilient means constructed and arranged to transferenergy from the actuator to the switch simultaneously with the initialmovement of the actuator, and means for regulating the rate of movementof said switch.

22. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatorelastically connected thereto, a governing device for controlling therate of movement of the switch, and means controlled by the switchitself for rendering said governing device temporarily inoperative. I

23. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatorelastically connect ed thereto, a centrifugal friction-governor forcontrolling the rate of movement of the switch, and means for renderingsaid governor temporarily inoperative.

24. In a controller, the combination with the switch having a pluralityof runningpoints, of actuating means adapted to move said switch at arate of speed independent of that of the actuator, and means forstopping the switch at any running-point to which the actuator isbrought.

25. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatortherefor, a spring connection arranged to start said switch in motionsimultaneously with the initial movement of the actuator in onedirection, and means for positively transferring energy from theactuator to the switch upon. movement in an opposite direction.

26. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of actuating meanstherefor adapted to move said switch from any runningpoint to any otherat a rate of speedindependent of that of the actuator.

27. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatortherefor, and means whereby the switch is started by the first movementof the actuator to be moved to the next running-point only or to thefull-on position at a predetermined rate of speed.

28. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatortherefor and means for causing said switch to move at a rate of speedindependent of that of the actuator when the latter is moved above adetermined rate, but causing the movement of said switch to be dependentupon that of the actuator when the latter is moved at a less rate.

2!). In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatortherefor, an elastic connection between said switch and said actuator,stops for said switch at the runningpoints, and means separate from saidstops for hindering the operation of the switch.

30. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of meansforactuating said switch at a desired speed, and means for insuringadifferent rate of speed during a predetermined part of the movement ofsaid switch.

31. In a series-parallel controller, the combination with the switch, ofmeans for actuating said switch at a desired speed,and means forinsuring a different rate of speed during the change from series toparallel relation.

32. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of means forinsuring a uniform rate of movement of said switch, and means forinsuring a different rate of speed during a part of said movement.

33. In a controller, the combination with the switch,'of the actuatortherefor, means for insuring a rate of movement of said switchindependent of the movement of the handle, and 'means for insuring adifferent rate of speed during a part of said movement.

34. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of the actuatortherefor, means for regulating the speed of movement of said switchduring its movement in one direction, and means for making said meansinoperative during a part of said movement.

35. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of the actuatortherefor, means for regulating the speed of movement of said switch,during its movement in one direction, and means whereby said switchcauses said regulating means to become inoperative during a part of saidmovement.

36. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of means foractuating said switch, means for controlling the operation of theswitch, and means for changing the effect of said controlling meansduring a part of the movement of the switch.

37. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of means foractuating said switch, means normally operating to maintain a uniformrate of movement of said switch, and means for causing an increasedspeed during a part of the movement of the switch.

38. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatortherefor, means for decreasing the effect of said actuator during a partof the movement of said switch, and means for increasing the speedduring another part of the movement of the switch.

39. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of actuating meanstherefor, a friction-governor for said actuating means, and means forrendering said governor inoperative at a certain part of the movement ofthe switch.

40. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of an actuatortherefor, a governor for said actuator, a cam on said switch, and meansoperated by said cam for rendering the governor inoperative.

41. In a controller, the combination with the switch, of actuating meanstherefor, a governor for said actuating means, and means whereby thegovernor is itself controlled by the movement of said switch.

42. A controlling device for electric motors, comprising a switch, anactuator for said switch, a lost-motion, energy-storing connectionbetween said switch and said actuator, means independent of the actuatorfor controlling the movement of said switch, and means for rendering thesaid controlling means inoperative during a part of the forward movementof said switch.

43. In a controlling device for electric 1no tors,'a movable member,means for moving said member at a predetermined speed, and meanscontrolled by the said movable member for increasing the speed during aportion of the movement thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2d dayof August,1898.

WILLIAM B. POTTER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MACLEAN, J OHN S. ABEROROMBIE.

